Excess body fat, or adipose tissue, can detract from personal appearance and athletic performance. Excess adipose tissue may be present in various locations of the body, including, for example, the thigh, buttocks, abdomen, knees, back, face, arms, and other areas. Moreover, excess adipose tissue is thought to magnify the unattractive appearance of cellulite, which forms when subcutaneous fat protrudes into the dermis and creates dimples where the skin is attached to underlying structural fibrous strands. Cellulite and excessive amounts of adipose tissue are often considered to be unappealing. Moreover, significant health risks may be associated with higher amounts of excess body fat. An effective way of controlling or removing excess body fat therefore is needed.
Liposuction is a method for selectively removing adipose tissue to “sculpt” a person's body. Liposuction typically is performed by plastic surgeons or dermatologists using specialized surgical equipment that invasively removes subcutaneous adipose tissue via suction. One drawback of liposuction is that it is a surgical procedure, and the recovery may be painful and lengthy. Moreover, the procedure typically requires the injection of tumescent anesthetics, which is often associated with temporary bruising. Liposuction can also have serious and occasionally even fatal complications. In addition, the cost for liposuction is usually substantial. Other emerging techniques for removal of subcutaneous adipose tissue include mesotherapy, laser-assisted liposuction, and high intensity focused ultrasound.
Conventional non-invasive treatments for removing excess body fat typically include topical agents, weight-loss drugs, regular exercise, dieting, or a combination of these treatments. One drawback of these treatments is that they may not be effective or even possible under certain circumstances. For example, when a person is physically injured or ill, regular exercise may not be an option. Similarly, weight-loss drugs or topical agents are not an option when they cause an allergic or negative reaction. Furthermore, fat loss in selective areas of a person's body cannot be achieved using general or systemic weight-loss methods.
Other non-invasive treatment methods include applying heat to a zone of subcutaneous lipid-rich cells. U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,011 discloses altering subcutaneous body fat and/or collagen by heating the subcutaneous fat layer with radiant energy while cooling the surface of the skin. The applied heat denatures fibrous septae made of collagen tissue and may destroy fat cells below the skin, and the cooling protects the epidermis from thermal damage. This method is less invasive than liposuction, but it still may cause thermal damage to adjacent tissue, and can also be painful and unpredictable.
Additional methods of reducing subcutaneous adipocytes cool or otherwise selectively remove or target them, as disclosed for example in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0220674 and 2005/0251120, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein. These publications disclose, among other things, the concept of reducing the temperature of subcutaneous adipocytes to selectively affect them without damaging the cells in the epidermis and other surrounding tissue. Although the methods and devices disclosed in these publications are promising, several improvements for enhancing the implementation of these methods and devices would be desirable.